The Grafton Public Library is thrilled to announce the return of beloved children’s programs in March. Join us for three versions of storytime, arts and crafts, book clubs, and STEM programs. Check out our new event calendar here.
MONDAYS
MARCH 11TH, 18TH, 25TH
Library Babies is 20-minute program tailored for our tiniest visitors, ages birth to walking. Every Monday at 10:30 am, join us for an engaging experience where we read stories, sing songs, recite familiar nursery rhymes, and interact with the little ones through bounces and finger plays. Parents and caregivers are not just spectators – they play a crucial role in creating a community of support and friendship. This drop-in program provides a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow parents, forge lifelong friendships, and witness the joy of early literacy together. No registration is required.
WEDNESDAYS
MARCH 12TH, 19TH, 26TH
Toddler Time is a lively 30-minute program designed for our little ones aged walking to 3 years! Join us on Wednesdays at 10:30 as we share stories, sing and dance, and engage in fun movement activities. Beyond the enriching activities, Toddler Time is an opportunity for toddlers, parents, and caregivers to come together, fostering first friendships and creating a warm community.
THURSDAYS
MARCH 13TH, 20TH, 27TH
Tailored for children aged 3-5, this 45-minute program offers a structured and engaging storytime experience. Join Ms. Sarah, and dive into a world of stories,catchy songs, interactive felt board fun, and movement activities. It’s not just a storytime – it’s a stepping stone to school readiness. Registration is required.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13TH@3:30pm
Join us for a special storytime, fun activities, and see a highlighted feature of the Willard House & Clock Museum.
This program is for preschoolers ages 3-5 and registration is required.
TUESDAYS @5:30-7:00PM
MARCH 12TH & 19TH
THURSDAYS @ 5:30-7:00PM
MARCH 14TH, 21ST, AND 28TH
Drop in and unleash your creativity with seasonal art in this engaging program designed for Grades K-5! Craft materials will be at your fingertips from 5:30-7:00 pm, allowing you to explore your artistic talents and make something special.
Join us for a night of artistic expression and seasonal fun!
While creating masterpieces, please keep in mind the Library’s Unattended Child Policy: children aged 0-7 must always be accompanied by a parent/guardian; those aged 8-12 should have a parent/guardian in the Library; and those 13 and older may enjoy the program unaccompanied, provided they can use the Library independently and adhere to the Library’s Code of Conduct.
W
WEDNESDAYS@ 5:30-7:00PM
MARCH 13TH, 20TH AND 27TH
Join us for an exciting adventure into the world of mathematics through the fun and engaging medium of card games! In this STEM program tailored for kids, we’ll delve into various mathematical concepts while enjoying classic and modern card games. From arithmetic to probability, participants will sharpen their critical thinking skills, develop strategic reasoning, and explore mathematical principles in action. Don’t miss out on this hands-on STEM adventure where learning meets fun with every shuffle and deal!
While creating masterpieces, please keep in mind the Library’s Unattended Child Policy: children aged 0-7 must always be accompanied by a parent/guardian; those aged 8-12 should have a parent/guardian in the Library; and those 13 and older may enjoy the program unaccompanied, provided they can use the Library independently and adhere to the Library’s Code of Conduct.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH@4:15pm
Learn about the characteristics of comics/graphic novels and then try drawing or writing some of you own.
This program is for school aged children in grades 2-5.
While creating masterpieces, please keep in mind the Library’s Unattended Child Policy: children aged 0-7 must always be accompanied by a parent/guardian; those aged 8-12 should have a parent/guardian in the Library; and those 13 and older may enjoy the program unaccompanied, provided they can use the Library independently and adhere to the Library’s Code of Conduct.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH@5:30pm
Embark on an exciting literary adventure with Ms. Kristin as she hosts a captivating book discussion tailored for our young readers in kindergarten through first grade! Immerse yourselves in the world of Fox and Chick: The Party and Other Stories. Fox is calm and thoughtful. Chick is hyperactive and flighty. They don’t always agree, but they are friends anyway.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH@6:15pm
Kids in grades 2 and 3! This month we’ll be reading Bunnicula : the graphic novel. Ensure you don’t miss a beat – secure your own copy, conveniently available for pickup at the library.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH@7:00pm
Join Ms. Kristin for a book discussion for kids in grades 4 and 5. Copies of the book The Lightning Thief : the graphic novel by Rick Riordan will be available for pick-up at the library.
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
Please register below. If the event is full, you may still submit this form to be placed on the waiting list.
Starting on Tuesday, February 27, the library is transitioning to a new, more user-friendly computer program for patrons to reserve museum passes, book study rooms, and register for library events.
We have created these video tutorials to help you get to know our new reservation system:
If you still need assistance, please contact the library at (508) 839-4649, extension 1820. Our library staff are eager to help you make use of the new reservation system.
The Grafton Public Library will be CLOSED for Professional Development on Thursday, March 7, 2024. No items are due this day. The Library will reopen on Friday, March 8, 2024.
Please pick up museum passes for Thursday before the Library closes at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
Please visit our online digital branch 24/7 at www.graftonlibrary.org – you can even get a digital card if you do not have a library card.
For a complete calendar of 2024 Library closings, please visit https://graftonlibrary.org/2024-library-closings/
This week we circulated 1,703 items, received 443 items in transit, and sent 570 items. We requested 412 items and fulfilled 355 hold requests; registered 16 patrons for library cards; and added 67 new items. The most popular book for several weeks in a row has been The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin.
Due to staff shortages, Winter Hours are in effect from January 2 to March 4, 2024. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Responses from a patron survey regarding library opening hours are being tabulated, and new opening hours reflecting patron preferences will take effect in early March.
Due to the start of Winter Hours last week, the Teen Room is unavailable for after-school use on Fridays through March 1. We apologize for the inconvenience. Staff continue to program plan, create amazing displays, and build relationships with teens after school.
The library welcomed three new temporary employees, Ramona Barton, Bridget O’Leary, and Meghan Spargo, to our team. The temporary employees help to fill gaps in desk coverage in the event that a regular staff member is ill, out on leave, or when other scheduling issues arise. If you see a new face at the desk, please say hello!
Mary Murtland is quickly settling into her role as the new Head of Borrower Services and has already had a positive impact to the team. The Borrower Services staff is preparing for the changes being made by CWMARS to the library catalog. Our staff has been attending CWMARS sessions to become familiar with the new catalog program called Aspen and the new features and functionality that this new program will provide to all users. The new program is set to be implemented on March 4, 2024.
The Borrower Services staff has also been learning how to make use of a new, user-friendly platform that the Grafton Library and its patrons will be using to reserve museum passes and make room reservations. The library will be transitioning from Eventkeeper to LibCal at the end of the month.
Reference staff hosted a “Not Just for Young Adults” Book Group and discussed How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow. Staff also updated nonfiction budget tracking and trained new temp employees.
Reference staff are also preparing to launch the 2024 Seed Library in mid-March. Similar to previous years, patrons and members of the public will be able to drop in and take free seed packets for their home use. New this year is an expanded native plant seed collection! Stay tuned for more information on seed offerings.
Staff in the Teen Room continue to program plan for drop-in programming for February break as well as every Monday-Friday beginning in March. We will be teaming up with the Children’s Room for Spin Art during February break and continue to supervise and build relationships with teens after school. Sarah Slocum has also been busy planning community gardens with Trustee Dana Wilson.
Technical Services staff have been working on replacements for damaged Children’s Books, placing orders and cataloging items, and continuing to work on the adult fiction series list.
Carpet has been ordered for the Community Room and is scheduled to be installed this month. The Children’s Room carpet is in the process of being ordered. Although a timeline for completion of the Children’s Room is not yet available, the staff hope to utilize the Community Room for programming and a temporary play space.
Children’s Room staff continued to plan February school vacation week activities around their less than ideal circumstances, discussed layout for the Community Rooms so it could be used for a temporary Children’s Room, met with Willard House to finalize a summer programming outline, reviewed and tested LibCal as a replacement for EventKeeper, and explored options for updating the library’s website.
We are excited to report that the search is underway for a new director, and several applications have been received. A Library Director Screening Subcommittee under the Board of Library Trustees was created to evaluate applicants. In the meantime, staff members from the Library and the Town of Grafton are working in cooperation to keep things running smoothly and provide the same level of service to patrons.
Tuesday-Thursday:
Drop by the Children’s Room temporary space to pick up a take-home kit during school vacation week. Kits are for grades K-5 and must be completed at home. These kits will be a single activity and may include sticker painting, paper crafts, or fortune tellers. Limit one per child. While supplies last.
Friday:
Join us this vacation week to create some Diamond Art.
Please note: Room capacity is extremely limited, so please register every person that will be attending. Children under 8 must have a parent/guardian in the room at all times. Children over 8 may be left alone in the room, but the parent/guardian must remain in the Library building.
Saturday:
Kids, Tweens, and Teens! Join us in the Teen Maker Space for Spin Art. Never done Spin Art before? No problem! We’ll guide you through the process step by step.
Drop into the Teen Room Maker Space between 10:30am-12:00 noon OR 1:00pm-2:00pm
The Grafton Public Library will be CLOSED in observance of Presidents’ Day, on Monday, February 19, 2024. No items are due this day. The Library will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20, 2024.
Please pick up museum passes for Monday before the Library closes at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 17th.
Please visit our online digital branch 24/7 at www.graftonlibrary.org – you can even get a digital card if you do not have a library card.
For a complete calendar of 2024 Library closings, please visit https://graftonlibrary.org/2024-library-closings/
The library was open 24 days in December and had 4,680 visitors. The library closed early on December 15, 2023, for the municipal staff holiday party and GPL staff holiday celebration. The library was closed on Saturday, December 23, 2023, and on Monday, December 25, 2023 in observance of the Christmas holiday.
We offered 27 programs for over 894 attendees, including Grafton Celebrates the Holidays on December 3rd and New Years at Noon. We had 169 meeting room reservations for over 321 participants. We hosted an additional 30 meeting room uses for staff use (meetings, interviews, programs, etc.) Five incident reports were filed, including disruptive teen behavior, foreign objects caught on the materials handling equipment, a minor staff injury, a disruptive patron, and a locked front door during opening hours.
ADMINISTRATION
Director Beth Schreiber tendered her resignation in December 2023, and the search for a new director is underway. We would like to thank Beth for her years of service to the Grafton Public Library and the Town of Grafton. We wish her well in all of her future endeavors.
Debby Jackson transitioned to her new position as Head of Teen Services. Shannon Phelan has taken over the role of Administrative Assistant for the library. Eileen maintained the collection of periodicals, took care of incoming mail, and prepared bills.
Staffing
Kara Dzindolet accepted a position at another library and resigned as Head of Borrower Services in December 2023. In the interim, Susan Leto has graciously volunteered to reprise her former role managing the Borrower Services department until a replacement can be found.
We recorded at least 28 low coverage instances (others may not have been documented due to short staffing) attributable to scheduled, earned leave of benefited staff, chronic understaffing in the Teen department, staff out on leave, and staff resignations.
Budget
At the end of December, we were at 58% of our budget for the 2024 fiscal year. Most of those expenses are contracted services billed annually at the beginning of the fiscal year such as Bibliotecha and CWMars.
Building
Assistant Town Administrator William Blake is overseeing building issues and has been coordinating with various contractors regarding general maintenance, door locking issues, and ongoing flood remediation.
Construction Update
Replacement carpet has been ordered for the Children’s Room and Community Room. No definitive timeline has been provided for completion of construction activities.
IT Update
Staff developed procedures for laptop in-library use and will work to roll out the laptops in January 2024.
Volunteers, Outreach and Partnerships
Crescent Manor BookWagon had 5 participants, 21 check-outs and renewals, and 4 requests.
We delivered 7 items to Homebound patrons. We had seven volunteers who put in 8 hours of work.
Social Media
We have 1,100 followers on TikTok, 2,200 followers on Facebook, 827 on Instagram, 113 on YouTube, 429 on Pinterest, and 8 on Flickr.
CHILDREN’S SERVICES
The Children’s Room continued to take up residence in the Friends Café during the month of December. The Children’s Room drywall repair has been completed and we were excited to see the project move forward with the installation of the flooring in the Children’s Program Room and the Children’s Work Room.
We opened our doors to the community on Sunday, December 3rd as part of the Grafton Celebrates the Holidays festivities. We hosted the Girl Scouts for their annual gingerbread decorating contest for the second year running, and we welcomed Diane Edgecomb back to the library for two performances of her storytelling program, Once Upon a Wintertime.
We continue to provide outreach programming to North Grafton Elementary School, South Grafton Elementary School, Busy Bee Academy, Silver Spruce, and the Willard House & Clock Museum. Through our outreach programming, we presented 15 storytimes for 233 children and teachers.
We rang in the new year with 58 very special guests as we brought back a perennial favorite program, New Years at Noon.
TEEN SERVICES
Debby Jackson took over as Head of Teen Services and spent time moving into the office, getting acclimated, and beautifully decorating the entire space with holiday lights.
Staff supervised teens using the space and met as a group to discuss future plans. Staff also hosted a Teen Gaming afternoon with open play of Mario Kart and Supersmash Bros video games.
BORROWER SERVICES
Museum Passes
There were 57 reservations; 49 were picked up and there were 8 “No Shows.”
Circulation
We registered 64 new borrowers and corrected four accounts for Grafton patrons.
Evergreen
Front-line staff and administration are scheduled to participate in training for Aspen, the new public catalog that will be debuting in March 2024.
ILL
We made two out of network requests; none were unfillable. We sent out two items to certified libraries.
Overdrive/Libby App
The total checkouts for December were 4,496. Of those, 1,429 were audiobooks, 3,049 were books, and 18 were comic books.
Displays
Our main display for December was Holiday fiction. The 4 smaller displays were: Tis the Season to be Freezin; Cozy Fiction; By the Fireside Mysteries; and National Short Story Day.
Programs
Sandhya hosted one daytime “Unplug with Art” program for adults: 5 people attended. She also organized and hosted “Holiday Luminaries” for adults: 9 people attended. We had one department staff meeting.
Seed Library
The seed packets program has been closed for the season and is expected to relaunch at the end of February.
Passports
We are still not accepting appointments for Passports.
REFERENCE SERVICES
We recorded the following statistics for database uses: Gale 747, PebbleGo 3, Peterson’s 2, Transparent Language 1, Novelist 2, Ancestry 97, ComicsPLUS 18, Pronounciator, BookFlix 8, and Teachables 4. We had 64 adults record public computer use. WiFi statistics were unavailable. Staff placed 409 holds for library materials.
Heidi assisted with tech and reference questions as well as circulation and room reservations / check-ins and museum passes. She also hosted book groups, worked on collection development, program planning and public relations. Heidi also attended professional development, assisted at Grafton Celebrates the Holidays, collected monthly statistics, and did outreach at Crescent Manor.
Eric assisted patrons with technology, reference, museum passes, room requests / check-ins and circulation questions. Eric finished reviewing the lost non-fiction reports, put out new materials, put out new bookends, and worked on book display ideas. Eric also updated the adult non-fiction budget spreadsheet, ordered new adult non-fiction materials, and reported monthly reference statistics.
Displays
Eric made a “Make Something New” staircase display. Heidi made an “In Memoriam” end cap display for Sandra Day O’Connor and Norman Lear.
Programs
We held the following in-person book discussion groups:
• “Not Just for Young Adults” Book Discussion Group: So, This is Christmas by Tracy Andreen,
• Daytimers Book Group: Winter People by Jennifer McMahon,
• GPL Mystery Book Group: The Bone Orchard by Paul Doiron,
• “Reads Well with Others” Adult Book Discussion Group: Elevation: a Novel by Stephen King, and
• The “Inspirational Book Club” and Guided Meditation: Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Nhá̂t Hạnh Thích and Lilian W. Y. Cheung. (Ended up being discussed on 1/2/24.)
Saturday Afternoon Knitting was canceled this month (Saturday, December 16; 2pm-4pm).
TECHNICAL SERVICES
During the month of December, 589 new items were added, and 317 items were deleted. Allison Cusher celebrated her first official month as the Head of Tech Services. In addition to her regular duties of ordering and processing new items and repairing items as needed, she worked on the following special projects:
• created options for new spine label stickers to discuss with Children’s Services and other department heads,
• started a list of adult fiction series titles. Once the list is complete, she will go through our collection and update the spine labels to include this information,
• created a new section for teens: light novels, which now live at the beginning of the manga collection, and
• created lists for department heads of item records that should be deleted from the system. These include items that have been missing for 2+ years and items that are lost (not returned) for 2+ years (the item is still on the patrons account). She has been going through our holdings and deleting records that we no longer need.
FRIENDS OF THE GRAFTON PUBLIC LIBRARY (FRIENDS)
The Friends book sale remains on hold as the Children’s Room continues to use the Friends’ Corner as their temporary collection location. The Friends offered book bundles and other gifts for sale over the holidays. The next Friends meeting will be posted to the Friends Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GPLFriends
The Friends had a total of 50 volunteer hours for the month of December, which included meetings and planning and prepping for Grafton Celebrates the Holidays (e.g., making book bundles, attending the event itself).
This week we circulated 1,920 items, received 662 items in transit, and sent 593 items. We requested 501 items and fulfilled 574 hold requests; registered nine patrons for library cards; and added 313 new items. The most popular book this week is The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin.
Carpet is scheduled to be installed in the Community Room by mid-February. When complete, the temporary Children’s Room will be able to move out of the Friends Corner and will occupy the Community Room until the official Children’s Room is ready (no definitive timeline for completion yet).
Due to staff shortages, Winter Hours are in effect from January 2 to March 4, 2024. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Due to the start of Winter Hours last week, the Teen Room is unavailable for after-school use on Fridays through March 1. We apologize for the inconvenience. Staff continue to program plan, create amazing displays, and build relationships with teens after school.
Children’s Room staff presented four outreach programs to SGES and continued planning for late winter/early spring programming, February outreach programming, summer reading, and a Children’s Room Grand Reopening party.
Technical Services staff have been busy cataloguing a large book delivery, training on book ordering, and getting acquainted with a new patron web interface being rolled out by CW Mars.
Borrower Services staff created an Oscars display for DVDs and are previewing alternative event management and museum pass reservation programs, which will be more user-friendly to patrons.
The Grafton Public Library will be CLOSED in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Monday, January 15, 2024. No items are due this day. The Library will reopen at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 16.
Please pick up museum passes for Monday before the Library closes at 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 13.
Library Weekly Report
Week of December 31, 2023 to January 6, 2024
This week we circulated 1,391 items, received 370 items in transit, and sent 661 items. We requested 473 items and fulfilled 244 hold requests; registered 13 patrons for library cards; and added 141 new items. The most popular book this week is The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Schulz, PhD.
Due to staff shortages, new Winter Hours are in effect from January 2 to March 4, 2024. The library will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Due to the start of Winter Hours, the Teen Room will be unavailable for after-school use on Fridays through March 1. The Teen Room hosted an all-ages New Year’s Eve at Noon celebration in cooperation with the Children’s Department. Staff continue to program plan, create amazing displays, and build relationships with teens after school.
The Children’s Room and Community Room remain closed, and the Friends of the Grafton Public Library book sale remains on hold awaiting reconstruction. Book bundles and gifts are available for purchase at the library. Children’s Room staff shifted to planning for late winter/early spring programming, lesson planned for January outreach programming, continued planning a Children’s Room Grand Reopening party, planned for how the Community Rooms could be used for a temporary Children’s Room in the event reopening is delayed, and fielded many questions about the Children’s Room closure.
Borrower Services staff attended two webinars through Booklist Online: Listening Advisory and Thriller and Mystery and True Crime; and updated the Readers Advisory Binder with selections from 2023. Reference staff visited the Crescent Manor Rest Home for outreach and drafted a procedure for patrons to check out in-house use laptops, which we hope to roll out to patrons in the near future.
